[DEBATE] : Delft appeal 2pm today

[Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign]

Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign Press Release
18 Feb 2008
1pm

DELFT, CAPE TOWN - The appeal of hundreds of residents from Delft, who face
eviction from the homes they occupied two months ago, is to be heard
urgently at 2pm today (February 18th 2008). This decision was made at a
meeting in chambers this morning.

Thubelisha Homes and the Provincial ANC government will oppose the peoples'
appeal against the eviction order.

The Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign is against the court's earlier final
eviction order. The court didn't even mention anything about alternative
accommodation. They also refused to have an arbitration with the people of
Delft to come up with a compromise.

The judge and ANC government and Thubelisha Homes are treating the residents
of Delft as if they have alternative accommodation. Yet not one of them has
any place to go. All of those who moved into the new houses were either
homeless or backyard dwellers. Many had been on the waiting list for 20
years. Many of those who considered themselves "backyarders" in fact were
living in appalling conditions in the back yards of homeowners, such as
those families who attached a piece of tarpaulin to the backs of bakkies and
slept every night for years in this so-called "tent".

The AEC is currently carrying out a door to door survey of the
socio-economic situation in Delft and the results will be released soon.

The AEC demands that housing be provided now for those who need it, instead
of hundreds of pointless stadiums that costs billions of rands.

.../ends

For comment call AEC Legal Co-ordinator Ashraf Cassiem on 076 1861408